It's not rocket science... Safest Place During a Building Collapse

Where is the safest place to wait for help in a building during a building collapse or other disaster?

“Non-Engineer” Answer: The stairwell

Explanation: According to chapter six of the book “Design against Fire” entitled “Fire Escape in Difficult Circumstances” the stairwell is often the safest place in a building to be during a collapse or other hazards such as smoke or fire. Some buildings have “Safe Havens” that are reinforced to protect evacuees during a structural collapse. More often than not, the stairwell can be used as a safe haven. During the investigation outlined in this chapter, the independent variables during a building evacuation which included the complexity of the building and movement ability of the evacuees were tested. It was noted that during an evacuation the strategy of the evacuee changes from that of “fast egress” to “slow egress” and “move to a safe place inside a building”. Safe havens (such as a stairwell) are often where evacuees with limited mobility are requested to stay until emergency rescue personnel can respond.

Commentary: During a building collapse or any other type of structural hazard it is important to remember to stay calm and try to exit the building as quickly and safely as possible. As discussed in a previous blog, The U.S. requires buildings to have stairs as a means of evacuation and elevators are inoperable and should not be considered during an evacuation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_evacuation